Machine for removing meat from pineapple shells



FQ@ 6 E923.,

C. E. @ARTER MAGHJZNE FOR REMOVING. MEAT FROM PINEAPPLE SHELLS Feb. 6, ]123 l MACHINE FOR REMOVING MEAT FROM PINEAPPLE SHELLS4 Filed June 6, 1922 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented leb. 6, i923.

NETE@ lflefllll WFG@- CLARENCE E. BARTER, OF HONOLULU, HAWAII, ASSIGNOR TO CALIFORNIA PACKING GOREORATION, OF SANr-FRAITOISOO, CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MACHINE FOB, REMOVING MEAT FROM PINEAPPLE SHELLS.

Application filed June 6, 1922. Serial No. 566,389.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, Cnannnon Fivnnnrr Baaren, a citizen of the United `Stetesresiding at the city of Honolulu, Territory of Hawaii, and United States of eimericmhave invented new and useful Improvements in Machines for Removing Meat from Fineapple Shells, of which the following is a specilieation.

rlhis invention relates to a device to be employed in conjunction with. the grid plate of a pineapple meat eradicator, whereby a better and cleaner product-maj: be obtained.

lt is common practice in the use of pineapple meat eradicators to feed the pineapple shell into the eradicator by hand; the shell being thrown on the belt meat side uppermostwith the longitudinal split side of the shell disposed at right angles to the direction of travel of the belt, thus the ends of the shell assume a position parallel with the sides of the belt and will during the travel of the conveyor pass under the bars of the grid near either side of the eradicator. The

ends of the shell are the thinnest portion thereof and contain no meat worth while removing. The ends are often cracked `and somewhat broken so that pieces of eyes and shell are carried through the grids and over the knife, in this manner becoming mixed `with the clean meat cut from the center of the shell. To remove these pieces of eyes and shell it requires considerable time and labor, and such pieces must be removed as their presence in the `clean product reduces in a marked degree the color and quality of the product.

generally improve and simplify pineapple l 4.0 meat eradicators, and especially to provide 4a pair of grid shoes or defiecting plates whereby the ends of the shellare deflected under the knife and a clean product is thereby obtained, and extra time and labor eliminated. y

One form which my invention may assume is exemplified' in the following description and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. l is a side elevation of a standard form of meat eradicator showing the application of the invention. f

Fig. 2 is a plan view of Fig. l.

Figi 3 is an end view of the machine partly in section showing the receiving end of the machine.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the grid shoes showing its position with relation to the slicing blade.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the shape of the shell when removed from the pineapple.

Fig. 6 is a view of the shell after it is split and flattened and in position to be fed to the eradicator.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Figs. l and 2, A indicates the main frame constructed in any suitable manner and supported by legs or standards 2. Journaled crosswise of the frame is a pair of shafts 3 and e, and secured on the respective shafts are drums or pulleys 5 and 6, respectively, upon which is supported an endless conveyor belt 7. One of the shafts is driven in anysuitable manner and a continuous movement is therefore transmitted to the belt when the machine is in operation. |The upper surface of the belt is roughened or spiked as indicated at 8 for purposes to be hereinafter described, and the pineapple shells to be eradicated are delivered meat side up to the conveyor or belt 7 at the point indicated at 9. Thel pineapple shells illustrated in Figs. 5 andA 6 are in reality nothing more or less than a by-product of the pineapple canning and preserving industry, that is thecenter portion ef the pineapple is cut out and removed, and it is this portion of the pineapple which reaches the market as a canned product. It happens that considerable meat adheres to the inside of the shell and experience has determined that this meat when removed forms an ideal by-product, which may be treated to produce crushed pineapple or juices and the like. The eradicating machine generally illustrated 1n Figs. l, 2 and 3, is employed for the purpose of removing the meat from the shells and this is accomplished in the following manner:

The Shells are flattened out, as indicated in Fig. 6, and they are placed meat side up on the conveyor 7, at the point indicated at 9. To efficiently remove the meat it is neeessary to flatten out the shell and to hold it in a flattened condition while the meat is being removed, as a slicing knife, generally indicated at 10, is employed for. this purpose. This knife is held by a pair of Cil standards 11, positioned one on each side of the frame, and these standards determine thetransverse angle of the slicingknife With relation to the travel of the conveyor. 'lllhe slicingknife is also vertically adjustable in the standards and any .thickness of slice desired may in this manner be obtained. For the purpose of flattening; out the shell before it reaches the slicing blade or knife 10, a device known as a plate is employed; this plate being' generally indicated at 12. The lgrid plate is carried by a cross frame 13 and consists of a series of vertically disposed interspaced bars la. These bars engage the meat side of the shell and flatten it out, and as the forward ends of theV bars are extended to the cutting; edge of theblade or knife 10, it can readily be seen that the shell will be perfectly flattened when the knife is reached.` rllhe meatis removedy in the forni of ar slice by the blade the meat proper passing over the blade and onto a chute or plate 15 from Where it may be removed in any suitable manner. The shell passes under the knife and the plate 15 and is directed into a lower chute 16 from Where it may be removed in any suitable manner.

The vmachine so far described is estanda-rdmachin'e and certain 'disadvantages are encountered,to-Wit, the ends of the shell, indicated at 17 and 18, are very thin and often broken.' rllhese ends have a tendency to curl up between the bars lil ofthe grid plate as the shell passes underneath the same and a portion of the ends' will thus reach the slicingvblade in a curled or upturned condition. The ends will thus be sliced olf with the clean meat and will mix with the meat on the chute 15. The ends f contain portions ofthe shell. and the eyes and such pieces are exceedingly undesirable when mined with the clean meatl as it reduces the qualityand color thereof. lleretofore it has been comnjion practice to remove the objectional piecesv by hand, and it' isobvious that'this takes considerable time and labor. ln the presentinstance the ob- "jections just referred to have been entirely y overcome by the use lof grid shoes, such as 'illustrated in Fig, e. rlhe lgrid shoes are in yreality nothinglmore or less than flattened. plates 20, the forward ends of `which arev curled up, as at4 21. There is one longgrid shoe, las yindicated at B, on onesideof the p` grid', and ashortgrid Shoe on the opposite side .as shown atl). They are hoivever substantiallyidenticalY 1n construction and the base portion'slQO. thereof pass in 'under the .bars 14 of the Lgrid plate andcover the' edges 17'andl18`of the pineapple shell are passed under thesemgrid shoes and are thuis prevented from curling up 'orentering bettveenthefbars 14.' The plates 20' ofthe grid'shoes are furthermore entenderla slight shell and eyes are thus deflected under the knife and the chute 15 and a perfectly clean product is obtained.

The grid shoes may be .secured to the bars of the grid plate proper, or they may be supported in any other suitable manner; the

essential feature being that the grid shoes cover the lower ends `of the outermost grid bars to prevent the ends of the shell from entering; the same and from curling up at the point Where the slicing` blade is reached,

While certain features of the present invention are more or less specilically illustrated, 1 Wish it understood that various changes in form and 'proportion may be resorted to Within the scope of the appended claims, similarly that the materials and finish of the several'parts employed may be such as theexperience and judgment of the manufacturer may dictate or various uses may demand'.

Having thus described my invention, What l claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. 1n a machine for removing meat ffrom pineapple shells, a knife, means 'for delivering a pineapple shell meat side' up to the knife, and means for deliectingthe'edges of the shell in under the knife.

f2. ln a machine of the class described the combination with a. conveyor adapted to receive pineapple shells, of a knife extend-ing transversely across the conveyor, means for retaining` the shells in a flattened condition While on the conveyor,`and means for deflecting the edges of the shell in under the et. ln a machine of the clas'sdescribed the combinationwvith a conveyor adapted to reico ceive pineapple shells, of knife extending transversely across the conveyor, means for retaining` the shell in a flattened condition While on the conveyor, and a combined cover and deflectinlg plate disposed above the4 conveyor and on each side thereof, Vsaid plates adapted todcect theedges of thepineapple shell in under the knife, and said detlecting plates extending'in under the knife. l

5. ln amachine of the 'class' described the combination with` aVA conveyor and 'a'knife extending transversely across thesanim of a grid plate disposed above the conveyor in front of the knife, and a grid shoe on each side of the grid plate and covering the hottom portion on each side thereof.`

6. ln a machine for removing meat from pineapple shells, a conveyor adapted to receive the shells meat siele up, means for retaining the shell in a flattened condition when placed on the conveyor, a Vpair of shoes cooperating with said means and` covering the edges of the shell, and arknife disposed forward of said flattening means and said shoes, said shoes extending in under thev knife anfl adapted to deflect the edges of the shell in uncler the lmife.

7. In a machine for removing nieatl from pineapple shells, a knife, means for delivering a pineapple shell in a flattened condin da tion tothe knife, and means for deleeting the edges of the shell below the knife.

8. In a machine for removing meat from pineapple shells, a knife, a conveyor removable With relation to the knife and adapted to receive and support pineapple shells, ancl` means for retaining the shells in a flattened condition when they reach the knife and for elefleeting the edges of the shell below the knife.

9. In a machine for removing meat from pineapple shells. a knife, means for delivering the pineapple shell in a flatteneL condi tion to the knife, and means for Clefleeting the edges of the shell and for preventing engagement of the edges with the knife.

CLARENCE E. Baaren. 

